Maximize Your Event Photography Coverage

In the above video and proceeding outline, I will discuss how to maximize your event photography coverage.

All of these tips and approaches to event photography come from over 13 years of experience as a professional event photographer in Los Angeles.

Event Photography Tips: How to Properly Cover an Event (Maximum Coverage!)

Here is what will be covered:

• What your objective is, overall.

• How it changes from event to event.

• Lastly, How you can maximize your event photography coverage throug: 

• Logistical and practical event photography tips

• Technical event photography tips

• and Philosophical tips and exploration

The first thing to understand is what your objective is DEPENDING on the type of event you’re photographing:

• This will OF COURSE vary vastly depending on the job and

• It is important to understand Intended use

Corporate and political event photography clients will likely use your images for :

• Marketing and promotion

• Their Website

• Or simply documentation for internal use

But with private event photography, intended use will likely include:

• Documentation, of course

• Social media posts

• Framed prints

• And things of that nature

With a firm understanding of intended use, you should of course...

Balance this, with your personal objective as a photographer.

As a professional event photographer in Los Angeles, for me, at every event, I: 

• love capturing meaningful, emotion filled moments far more than “cool shots”

• want my event photography images to be windows to what it was like to be there

• want to create visual reminders of how people felt in those moments at the event

But additionally, I have ever changing goals when it comes to how I work and what I want to achieve.

And lastly, I have a career goal as a professional event photographer in Los Angeles, which is: 

To raise the bar, and challenge people’s notion of what event photography is, and what an event photographer can be. 

So let's move onto a discussion of what maximum event photography coverage is, exactly.

• Maximum Coverage vs more photos: Its about creating images, shot with intent, that are about something, that serve your clients needs- not getting more photos!

• It is about finding a balance between focussing on VIPs and covering as many moments and participants as possible.

• It's about capturing a wide variety of images of varying shot types at an event... In order to tell a well rounded visual story.

• I’ve created a video on the shot types at your disposal that I encourage you to check out if you haven't already since This video is about getting as many of those shots as possible, not what those shots are.

• But on top of that special focus, it's important to occasionally scan the room when photographing an event and keep a toll on who you’ve already photographed. But remember, while you want to get a shot of as many people as possible in attendance, you want to balance that with shooting with intent and making meaningful images. So don’t over linger on one person as you may end up missing other potential shots.

VIPs at various events often include:

• Guest speakers

• MCs

• The Birthday boy or girl

• Family members

• And possibly Celebrities (I photograph a lot of these as a Los Angeles event photographer
  

Logistical and practical tips for maximizing your event photography coverage.

As a professional event photographer, you want to show up to a job ready to shoot. So what this means is:

• Prep your gear in advance and have your:

  • Your lenses already cleaned

  • Your cameras tested

  • Your memory cards formatted

  • And your file formats checked (necessary for me since I teach and kids shoot jpegs)

• Have your camera set up in a way in which you won't have to fumble around in menus. 

• Find a convenient spot for your equipment that you can easily return to it throughout the night. I personally only shoot with two camera bodies when necessary and swap lenses often throughout an event so it is important that in doing so I miss as few shots as possible.

• BREAKS: I personally don't take many, but if not taking a break will affect your performance, TAKE A BREAK. Be wise.

• You want to be friendly- this matters - But Learn how to politely exit conversations- especially uncle bob asking about your camera. You do not want to get bogged down in unnecessary conversation.

• Stay fit, learn to fast and avoid blood sugar spikes. 

My last Logistical tips for maximizing your event photography coverage

• On top of that special focus on VIPS, as I have discussed, it's important to occasionally scan the room and keep a toll on who you’ve already photographed. But remember, while you want to get a shot of as many people as possible in attendance, you want to balance that with shooting with intent and making meaningful images. So don’t over linger on one person as you may end up missing other potential shots.

My philosophical tips for maximizing your event photography coverage

• Stay present

  • Ego is a buffer between perception and reaction- don't be in your head

• Clear your mind / meditate in the car before starting the job

  • I use this time to clear my mind and set intentions.

• Engage with your senses, Listen for the life of the party. 

Technical tips for maximizing your event photography coverage

• Setup your camera in a way in which you never have to open menus

• Pre Select Your Focal Point.

• Time Your Shot Ahead of the Peak of Action.

• Shoot with both eyes to be able to spot alternative moments while waiting for a shot.

Event Photography Tips: Putting It All Together to Maximize Your Coverage!

I hope you find these event photography tips helpful. They are based on over 10 years of professional experience as a leading event photographer in Los Angeles. These event photography tips and tricks have mostly been developed through practice and developing habits, but I also spend a great deal of time working on my craft. I am always trying to improve my event photography and I hope these help you do the same!

My Conclusions on how to Maximize Your Event Photography Coverage.

Connecting the dots, you can see how all of these tips are used in unison: By staying present, reading the room, and following the energy, I am able to gravitate toward areas of an event in which lots of action is going to happen. By reading people’s eyes, I am able to predict who is about to smile and pre visualize my shot as I move into position, all while pre selecting my autofocus point before the camera hits my eye. By shooting with two eyes open, I am able to time my shot and already know where my next shot is going to be… then I repeat. I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can improve my event photography. It is important to me to always stay engaged with my craft and never settle. This has allowed me to constantly improve at event photography and I hope my tips help you on your own journey.

Event Photography Tip #1 Pre Select Your Focal Point.

When capturing a moment as an event photographer, rather than waiting for the viewfinder to reach your eye, consider where the point of focus will be in your composition and use your controller to set it. With practice this becomes intuitive. Keep in mind, that with evolving technology, this tip may become less or even irrelevant. Sony's eye AF, is a good example of technology that may replace the skill of pre-selecting your autofocus point. Also, as I am currently experimenting with new cameras, I want to mention that the delay in which the viewfinder activates in mirrorless cameras has been a challenge for me, in some cases preventing me from pre-selecting my focus point before looking through the viewfinder.

Event Photography Tip #2 Photograph With Both Eyes.

While one eye frames the shot, use your other eye to monitor the action. This technique improves your timing and you’re able to monitor the space while still framing a potential image. When covering an event, the goal should be to both get as much coverage as possible, but also to make sure each image is a quality one.

Event Photography Tip #3 Read the Room. Follow the Energy.

This is not hocus-pocus. Do not overthink it. Whether at an event or anywhere for that matter, there is always energy. There are plenty of auditory cues that give away where the energy is but there may be things that give it away that you are not even conscious of.

Event Photography Tip #4. Predict Smiles.

Have you learned to follow the energy? Good. Now it's time to predict a smile. watch the eyes and anticipate the pause- that is when you should be making your photograph. Of all my tips, I think your ability to implement this one may largely come down to personality traits. Not everyone will have as easy of a time predicting a smile. I do think that with practice, anyone can improve, but this is a skill highly determined by one's empathy.

Event Photography Tip #5. Time Your Shot Ahead of the Peak of Action.

You have a delay. Your motor skills have a delay. Your camera has a delay. Because of this, it is essential that you time your shot right before the peak of action. This is a tricky one. Of course shooting a burst of shots with a camera with a high FPS would help, but if your goal is to improve on your skills as an event photographer, it’s well worth it to practice this.

Links to see more of my work and throw me your support:

Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/mikmilman

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Do These Things Before, During, and After an Event (Event Photography Checklist)

I made this checklist to clearly define everything you should do as an event photographer, before, during, and after an event. If you’re a new event photographer, this will clearly define your objectives as an event photographer and clearly define what needs to be done. I also hope it will ease any anxiety you may have over shooting your first event. If you’re a more advanced event photographer, having a checklist can ensure you simply don’t miss anything- we all make mistakes or forget things time to time.

View a printable checklist by clicking here or view it below.

The Day Before

Research

• Check out company website

• Get a copy of the program

Prep Gear 

• Select Camera Body(s)

• Select Lenses

  • Wide

  • Medium

  • Telephoto

• Primary flash

• Backup flash

• Inspect and clean gear

• Charge or replace batteries

  • Camera(s)

  • Flash(s)

  • Other

• Select memory Cards

  • Insert and format 

• Something fun

Other

• Check commute and double the time necessary to arrive on time

Day of Event

Venue

• Identify safe location to stow gear 

• Scout 

• Ask about site specific rules

• Identify escape routes

Client

• Get agenda / schedule of events

• Get specific requests 

  • VIPs

  • Necessary Shots

Shot Types

• Establishing Shots

• Candid interactions

• Close Candids (emotional moments)

• Group Shots and formals

• Posed and creative portraits

• Detail Shots

Post Event

Lightroom

• Add metadata

  • Job type i.e. corporate event, private event

  • Location / venue

  • Client name

  • VIP names

• Select favorites

  • Blog

  • Portfolio

  • Social media

• Export files to full resolution folder

• Export files sized for social media

• Export favorites to separate folder (google drive recommended) 

• Deliver images

Marketing

• Add client to mailchimp list

• Follow up with client 1 week after delivery of images

Starting a Photography Business Today in 2021

I was recently asked by a subscriber of mine on Youtube to tackle the subject of what I would do differently if I started my photography business today, in 2020. He was mostly referring to the particulate climate we’re in (that of a pandemic) - which I do address - but I decided I would use the opportunity to also address what I would do differently with the knowledge that comes with over 10 years in business.

The First Thing I Would Do Differently: Not Resist

As much as I want to view myself as a beautiful and unique snowflake, in the end of the day, I’m you’re typical artist: I’m idealistic; fiercely independent; despise selling myself or putting myself out there; and perhaps worst of all: I do not naturally enjoy the business side of running a photography business. Eventually I overcame much of this, but I am still dealing with the consequences of my early resistance to this day.

When I started my photography business journey, I held onto certain ideals such as word of mouth being all I needed to succeed. And to tell you the truth, for many years it really was. Early on all of my work came from referrals, but not all of them were exactly “organic.” You see, I recognized the power of a then emerging platform, Yelp. True, Yelp is just another form of referrals in a sense, but what this falsely reinforced was that in the end referrals were all I needed. The truth is that most of my early success was due to getting on Yelp early and recognizing its value before most other photographers. At a time when the average photographer in Los Angeles seemed to have 6-9 five star reviews, I had over 100. Since then, competition has increased, Yelp now filters out most of my reviews with their algorithms, and they have (but will not admit) taken punitive actions against me for refusing to participate in their paid services. Eventually work from Yelp completely dried up because of this. That and my full boar pivot into exclusively shooting events meant that outside of referrals, I had no significant source of work.

So while I was smart enough to recognize the power of an emerging platform, I was not smart enough to get out of my own way and follow the same formula with other emerging platforms.

What Are the Lessons I Learned From This?

First, do not put all your eggs in one basket. Second, get in early! The more mature a platform, the harder it is going to be to succeed on it. I am not saying there is no value in them, just that it will be a tougher road getting traction.

What I Do Differently Today

I now have a no stone unturned policy. I try to at least have an account on all major platforms, but that has less to do with being active on every platform and more to do with my overall SEO strategy- which of course includes generating backlinks to my website. I also especially try to get in early on new aps and services.

I’ve learned a lot, but I still make mistakes. I knew Tik Tok would be huge the week it came out. I didn’t want to make the same mistake of not getting on it early, but in the end I didn’t feel the platform was quite right for me. That is because short content is king on Tik Tok- quite the opposite of the long and thoughtful content I try to produce. But perhaps I should have further explored the platform before concluding it wasn’t a good fit. But at the same time - and this is important - you do not need to be on every single platform there is: choosing the platforms that work for you, while being sure you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket, is probably the best general advice I can give.

The Second Thing I Would do Differently if I Were Starting My Photography Business Today

When I first started my career as a professional photographer, I shot weddings. Not because I especially love weddings or because I wanted to be a “wedding photographer” per se. I started off shooting weddings because it was simply easy to get into. I never really thought hard on the photography I pursued. I just engaged in the hustle and figured it out. Now that’s not entirely a bad thing. I think through exposure to different types of photography, you can better figure out what it is you’re really interested in. Since I don’t think I fully knew what I wanted to shoot, I just got into whatever I could. Personally for me, I have more mental clarity that way. I’m not a fan of overthinking, so perhaps I needed to go through the process of trying different types of photography out before settling on one.

Ultimately you may need to do the same. But there is a lesson I can impart upon you and that is to think about what you want to pursue in a holistic manner. I encourage you to consider not just your interest in the type of photography you like, but the industry involved in that genre of photography and how it fits into your personality type and lifestyle. If, for example, you love fashion, but don’t like posing people, then perhaps fashion photography is not for you. Wedding photographers work much more intimately and in a more personal manner with their clients than corporate event photographers do.

You get the idea.

What I found is that for me, event photography was what I was most suited to because:

1. I really enjoy the process of being there to document. And while I do not mind interacting with and posing people I prefer the level of presence I achieve when solely documenting what’s in front of me (not to say that there are not posed group shots sprinkled into my event work).

2. I don’t like editing and event photography requires less of it.

3. Events require less back and forth between me and my client and tend to be more straight forward than a lot of other genres of photography.

Starting a Photography Business During a Pandemic

If you are just starting out, there is a lot you can do to work on your business without actually getting paid to shoot anything. You do not need to be a bonafide and hired event photographer to shoot events. A lot of things you do in your life are technically events: going to shows, birthday parties, street performances, and more can all be treated as an event. For more on this, I recommend taking a look at the following videos:

Building an Event Photography Portfolio

How to Improve Your Photography in the Midst of a Pandemic

Running a Photography Business During a Pandemic

The last bit of advice I have is that you work harder than ever. While many photographers may be looking to jump ship and give up, my advice is for you to work harder than ever. That way you will be in a stronger position than before when the dust settles. Personally, I work harder when I’m shooting less than when I’m shooting often.

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If you’d like some additional help or just want to support the free resources I create for photographers, please consider checking out my Patreon page. Your support makes a difference to me!

Instagram | @retrograding https://www.instagram.com/retrograding/

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Los Angeles Event Photographers Review Canon 135mm f2 L.

Event photographers,

In this review I talk about one of my favorite lenses, the Canon 135mm f2 L. I have repeatedly recommended that people start with their “bread and butter” lenses, prior to purchasing something like this, and I stand by that. But when you’re ready to have some fun and open up some “creative” opportunities, this is an excellent choice.

Unfortunately, when I purchased this lens, I didn’t really have all of my “bread and butter” lenses / focal lengths covered. But also, I never really had a mentor advising me on what purchases to make. If there was someone on Youtube giving advice like I do, I certainly couldn’t find one.

I purchased my 135mm on what was a somewhat uncharacteristic whim. I saw it at a trade show in which no tax was being applied, and I decided to just go for it. I more or less spent about $1000- a lot less than most professional level L lenses by Canon, I suppose in part due to it being a prime lens and its age (its relatively old, having come out in 1996).

Why Do I Use This Lens for Event Photography?

In order to talk about when I use this lens, I think it is important to first talk about what sets this lens apart from other lenses.

First off, this lens does something no other lens in Canon’s lineup can do at 135mm (namely, the 70-200 in all its variants), and that is that it can shoot at f2. I have found that the one stop difference between f2 and f2.8 makes a significant impact in what I am able to achieve as a photographer, both practically and artistically.

Being able to open my aperture up to f2, can mean an additional 30 minutes or so of shooting with available light as the sun goes down. It can mean the difference between relying on strobes or not in a dimly lit event, or it can mean the difference between having acceptable noise in my image due to not having to raise my ISO an additional stop.

Going beyond the practical aspects of using this lens, there is just something unique about the shallow depth of field created by the combination of a 135mm focal length and an f2 aperture. I am the first person to say shallow depth of field is overrated, not the end all be all to photography, and actually not the best artistic choice when it comes to personal work like street photography; but when it comes to professional work, shooting with such a shallow depth of field not only achieves specific goals, but has an air of quality and professionalism to the results. Also, in the end of the day, having something visually unique about your work can make you stand out. It could mean the difference between getting hired or not.

When it comes to the quality of this lens, well, its considered a bit of a legend. When it was released, there wasn’t really a comparable Nikon version. It was known to be one of Canon’s sharpest, if not sharpest, lenses and was even reasonably priced- relative to many of their other L lenses.

My subjective take on it? This lens has character and not just due to its fast aperture and focal length combination. It’s sharp as hell when you nail focus and It renders color better than maybe any other EF lens I own.

Events I Use This Lens at

Now that I have covered what’s so great and unique about this lens, lets talk about some specific use cases when photographing events in Los Angeles.

As mentioned before, this is a great lens to use in low light. One thing I specifically enjoy doing is shooting with it wide open at a high ISO in order to get enough ambient light to seamlessly balance it with my strobe, which I’m really just using to improve the quality of light on my subject.

I often bring this lens along, even when I have my 70-200mm f2.8 is, because once I get all my safe bread and butter shots of things like a speaker on a stage, I can experiment with more creative stuff. Also, if size and weight is a concern, I will rock this lens on one body while I have something like a 24-70 on another.

I love shooting portraits with this lens and definitely favor it’s size, weight, aperture range, and focal length to my 70-200mm lens.

One of my favorite uses of this lens is shooting available light during blue hour- the period right after golden hour when the sun has set. Blue and magenta tones seemingly dance together, splendidly, which is further enhanced by the Canon 135mm f2 L lens’ unique character and very shallow depth of field. The result has something of an ethereal feel to it.

I love shooting in tight crowds with this lens. I find I can maneuver through them, while actively shooting much easier than I could with a large, heavy lens. It is also great for when you have to shoot over people’s shoulders or through things because it’s so much less obtrusive.

Lastly, I want to mention that I really just love shooting with this lens because I love shooting with prime lenses and not just for the obvious reasons. Yes, prime lenses are sharp and can generally shoot at wider apertures. But I just love the way it forces me to be more engaged with my craft. Having to physically move your body rather than just zoom in or out, is far more engaging and forces you to be more present, and ultimately potentially more creative. You might not agree with me. And believe me, I see the other side of the argument, but in the end of the day I liken shooting in manual and shooting with a prime lens to driving a stick shift car: a modern automatic will go 0-60 a lot faster, but that does not mean it’s as enjoyable.

What I Don’t Like About This Lens

Seriously, almost nothing. My one and only complaint is that it’s not the lighting fast focuser the 70-200 f2.8 IS, is. But that’s not to say it isn’t fast.

Conclusion

I have been using this lens to photograph events in Los Angeles for nearly 10 years. I probably should not have purchased it before buying at least one other essential lens, but hey I have no regrets. Some of my favorite work has been shot with it and it’s seriously a joy to use. Do you need this lens? No, probably not. But if you want to open up your creative possibilities, while having your work stand out, this fits the bill.

This has been a review of the Canon 135mm f2 L lens from the point of view of a working event photographer. If you would like a bit more technical information, I suggest checking Ken Rockwell’s review.

Event Photography Tips on Buying Gear from a Los Angeles Event Photographer

Aspiring event photographers,

Making a full time living as an event photographer is not easy. When I started out as an event photographer in Los Angeles, there wasn’t really a template to follow. That’s why I share as much knowledge as possible via my blog and Youtube channel. My hope is that this sort of content will ease your anxiety and make your journey easier.

I hope you enjoy this video on buying gear for event photography.

Buying Camera Bodies for Event Photography

When you decide to go pro at event photography you are starting a business. You have to remember that camera bodies are depreciating assets and the cost of constantly upgrading them means you are making less money. Additionally, If you are still early in the learning phase, by the time you know the ins and outs of your very expensive camera, it will have depreciated significantly in value and there will be better options out there with more modern technology.

My advice to event photographers just starting out would be to buy last generation’s model of whatever camera you’re interested in, whether new or used. Cameras experience most of their depreciation right away followed by a very large reduction in price once a new version comes out. After that they somewhat level off again. You can save a significant amount of money by buying old models once the new ones come out. Once in a while new camera models significantly improve upon the last model’s tech, but these days a generation old camera is still a very capable camera. I follow an “every other” upgrade cycle which has suited me well. I personally still use a Canon 5d iii as my main camera and its nearly 8 years old! It’s almost hard to believe it has been that long.

Use the money you save to start building your lens collection. Remember lenses make images more so than cameras. Additionally, unlike cameras, lenses hardly depreciate in value.

Which Professional Lenses You Should Buy First for Event Photography

Your first goal should be to cover all necessary focal lengths. This can be done with two lenses. The first lens you should buy is a 24-70mm lens. This lens will give you a somewhat wide to somewhat zoomed in field of view. Most events could be shot entirely with this lens. It’s great for candids, portraits, group shots, detail shots, and even somewhat wide establishing shots.

The second lens I recommend buying is a 70-200mm. These focal lengths are essential for a lot of different types of event photography from varying sports, conferences and anytime you need more reach with your lens.

Please note that when shooting with those lenses on a cropped frame camera body, those focal lengths will have the field of view of a 36-105 and 105-300 and may not be as suitable if you need a very wide field of view.

Once you have your main focal lengths covered with a 24-70mm and 70-200mm lens, the next lens I recommend getting would be on the wide end. I personally use a 17-40mm f4 lens when I need to get wider than 24mm. Canon also makes a superior 16-35mm lens, but for how I use a wide lens, its just not necessary. I am typically photographing larger groups or wide “establishing shots” which require a deeper depth of filed than f2.8 would offer to properly get everyone or most things in focus. When making lens choices, remember that you're building a photography business and therefore it is helpful to think of purchases as business expenses in which cost vs benefit should be weighed. I estimate that my 17-40mm lens is on my camera less than 5% of the time at most. It is still a necessary lens for what I do, but not worth upgrading. I used to have a fisheye lens. Take a guess how often I used that and why I sold it.

Buying Memory Cards

You can save money by not buying memory cards with larger storage capacities. Two 32 gig cards for example typically cost far less than one 64 gig card. But be sure to buy quality memory cards with fast read / write speeds. Do the research and make sure to buy the fastest memory cards recommended for your camera by it’s manufacturer. This will make a difference. Buying higher specced cards than what’s recommended may not make a difference. It would be like putting premium gas in a car not designed for it. I also recommend buying fast cards for their upload speeds. This will shorten your editing process.

Buying a Flash

When I started as a photographer there was no viable alternative to a Canon branded flash. It was essentially a two horse race then, with Nikon as Canon’s only competition. But since then, off brand manufacturers have closed the gap in the quality of their flashes for a fraction of the cost. Canon’s latest flagship flash the 600EX II-RT goes for $579 at full price. Meanwhile the Yongnuo YN600 RT-II comes in at $121. It’s essentially a Canon clone (It’s even named similarly. Don’t ask me how that’s legal), and costs less than a fourth the price.

Personally, I own two Canon flashes, but would not have a problem with purchasing a third party flash as another backup at some point.